NOVELTIES WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE 



A Review of the New Chrysanthemum 



[Editors' Note. — The purpose of this series of reviews was definitely explained in 

 introducing the first article {which dealt with the newer carnations and roses) in the 

 December issue. Briefly we may state again that the purpose is to put before the reader 

 critical appraisals of the novelties that are just about to be offered to the public, or such 

 as are of very recent introduction. In these notes the object is to give the readers a 

 reasonable perspective of the new claimants to his attention. No man living can predict, 

 with absolute precision, the public's ultimate decision on any new comer; but the opinion of expert florists and gardeners has some weight in 

 assisting the opinion of those less expert. Hence these "reviews." Remember also that conditions as well as treatment of soil, climate and 

 locality have much to do with success, and nothing but an actual trial can prove how a given new plant will respond to your environment.) 



[" AST fall the chrysanthemum exhibi- 

 tions were unusually popular. Never 

 before have so many people visited floral 

 displays in so many widely separated cen- 

 ters of interest, but more particularly in 

 New York (at the Museum of Natural 

 History) ; the Art Institute, Chicago ; and 

 the flower show at Cleveland. The " Queen 

 of Autumn" still reigns. Now, when the 

 up-to-date grower is getting his cuttings of 

 the newer varieties to grow for flowers next 

 fall we may profitably look backward be- 

 fore stepping forward. 



Not alone are the large flowering varie- 

 ties enjoying a season of popularity, but 

 the new early flowering types, particularly 

 the more recent introductions from France, 

 are here to give delight to flower lovers 

 who, not having the advantage of glass 

 had never before dreamed of enjoying 

 chrysanthemums, can now grow them out- 

 doors and get real "blooms." The single 

 varieties also are coming in for their share 

 of recognition, and in a season such as that 

 of last year they can be most successfully 

 grown and flowered outdoors. 



In the large flowered group, perhaps the 

 best novelty for the year 1914 will be Meu- 

 don, Japanese reflexed, long petals, an 

 Australian like so many other recent varie- 

 ties. This variety, a brilliant rose-pink, 

 is remarkable for its sturdy growth. It 

 bids fair to eclipse all present day pink 

 varieties. 



Perhaps the most spectacular Australian 

 variety seen in America so far is William 

 Turner, and while not a novelty (last 

 season was its fourth year) it made a won- 

 derful showing in every exhibition in the 

 country. It was indeed the sensation of 

 the Cleveland exhibition. 



Mrs. R. H. Boggs is another of the mon- 

 ster type with shaggy petals hanging down 

 and distributing themselves irregularly 

 over the landscape, making a bloom of 

 immense size and yet wonderfully attrac- 

 tive. This is also from Australia, and will 

 prove a worthy companion to Meudon. 

 The color is white, occasionally splashed 

 with pink. 



Another worthy novelty of this season's 

 introduction is James Fraser, a lovely re- 

 flexed, deep canary yellow, with the petals 

 hanging down a foot or more in length. 

 Even among present-day monsters in chry- 

 santhemums, this is stamped as a distinc- 

 tive variety, the only one to be compared 

 with it being F. S. Vallis, which was by 

 no means a stiff-stemmed variety, whereas 

 the newcomer certainly is. 



Another fine yellow to be distributed in 

 America this year is the English variety 



Daily Mail. It was also awarded a gold 

 medal at Ghent, and was seen only at Cleve- 

 land in America. 



The latest candidate for honors among 

 crimson chrysanthemums is William Vert, 

 which seems destined to become a very 

 popular variety in its color as it ranks high 

 in every detail, stem, foliage and flower. 

 This variety comes on this market with a 

 clean record and a clear field. 



Of the type known as chestnut scarlet, 

 which with chrysanthemum distributors 

 seems to cover a multitude of — colors, 

 if not ' sins — Mrs. Ernest Wild merits 

 attention. This variety comes into full 

 flower the first week in October and is the 

 largest of the early flowering indoor type 

 Indian Summer has been described as 

 a " chestnut-scarlet," but it has also bronze, 

 amber, and terra cotta in its shadings. 

 This variety, which is a sport of the well 

 known Mrs. Chadwick, presents a combina- 

 tion of striking colors and has a peculiar 

 attraction of its own in consequence. 



Still another yellow aspirant for honor is 

 Mrs. Paul Moore. It is wonderfully at- 

 tractive with the foliage reaching right up 

 to the flower; and the flower itself is pecu- 

 liar in the way that the petals curve and 

 twist at the point. 



Perhaps the single varieties have shown 

 the greatest improvement in the last three 

 years. Undoubtedly the gem of the year's 

 collection of novelties is R. B. Burge, 

 which most irresistibly reminds one of a 

 nymphea or a Japanese anemone — any- 

 thing but a chrysanthemum at first glance. 

 The upwardly curved rays of purest white 

 with a brilliant gold centre make a com- 

 bination that catches every one's eye. R.B. 

 Burge like many of the best singles has a 

 marked fragrance. 



Another single that attracted much at- 

 tention is Phyllis Bryant, sulphur yellow, 

 making a flower as round as a newly minted 

 fifty-cent piece. In fact, there are some 

 half dozen new varieties shown this year 

 that are remarkable improvements over the 

 previously known somewhat weedy things 

 that were called singles some four years ago. 

 Gladys Duckham, pure white; Stanley Van, 

 rose pink; Celia, yellow; and Miss F. Col- 

 lett, terra cotta; are single varieties that 

 should be considered in making your col- 

 lection representative. 



Pompons seem to run along from year 

 to year without much change. At many 

 of the exhibitions a variety shown in this 

 class (and much admired) was Lilian Doty. 

 This has also been know r n as Pink Diana 

 and some half dozen other things. It is 

 not a really new thing and the experts tell 



11 



us it is not strictly speaking a pompon. 

 This is probably true, but it is quite hardy, 

 of small size and never fails to attract. 

 Indeed, it has been remarked as being the 

 most attractive flower on exhibition. A 

 new real pompon shown this year at 

 some of the western exhibitions is Climax, 

 an intense orange yellow, a very, very great 

 improvement on the old Quinola. Other 

 very distinctive pompons are Inez, a scarlet 

 bronze; Rita, bright pink; Beth and Doris, 

 deep and light pink respectively. 



The type known as large early flower- 

 ing, which was discussed in full in The 

 Garden Magazine a year ago, has jumped 

 into instant popularity. Many of the 

 varieties of this type are the introductions 

 of August Nonin, of Paris. They are dwarf 

 and sturdy in habit, and entirely hardy. 

 In most sections of the country they are in 

 full flower the last week in September and 

 give a glorious blaze of bloom all through 

 the month of October — a treat not 

 dreamed of a few years ago when the only 

 kinds considered for outdoor were the old 

 pompons; which in many cases, flowered 

 too late. The first week in November 

 saw the outdoor gardens in a sorry 

 plight and even when the flowers devel- 

 oped sooner, the early frosts killed all 

 the foliage and there was nothing very 

 attractive in a flower without any foliage 

 whatever. The most luxuriant foliage 

 of the new early flowering type gives 

 the plant a very much better appearance 

 in the garden; and the dwarf habit 

 permits of its being used in any posi- 

 tion. They can be disbudded like indoor 

 kinds and made to produce really excellent 

 flowers. Petite Louis and Cranford Pink 

 are two beautiful light-pink varieties. 



Last fall in the Middle West an excep- 

 tionally heavy frost the last week in Sep- 

 tember cut down to the ground not only 

 the early flowering kinds but also the pom- 

 pon varieties. With such unseasonable 

 conditions the results are discouraging but 

 after all there are very few sections of the 

 country where such a calamity would 

 occur more than once in ten years. In fact 

 in the states of New York, New Jersey, 

 Pennsylvania and Connecticut, these out- 

 door types answer well. 



Some of the best of the newer types in 

 the early flow T ering section are Madam E. 

 David, Mrs. W. A. Hobbs, Cranford Pink, 

 and Petite Louis, in pink; Cranford Yellow 

 Carrie and Carmelite in yellow; Miss F. 

 Collier, La Cgyne, and Normandie, in 

 white; Firelight, Chaldon and L'Argen- 

 tuillais, in crimson; Le Pactole and Border 

 Beauty in the bronze and terra cotta types. 



